passenger behind won't let you recline

[6rugrats]

The recline or not to recline never ending debate.

 

OP - if someone hits your seat, you need to press the call button and have the FA intercede. It's their job, not yours. No one can force you not to recline your seat.

[floridatravelersforlife]

Great thread

 

I'm retired and had 30 years of this when I flew coach.

 

Today I fly higher than coach on international flights to avoid this situation.

 

But alas, for my domestic business flights for my post retirement job, I fly in coach.

 

As a result of over a million miles of real flight miles, I have a bad back. On some airlines, I have to recline. My back aches from the point I sit in the seat to wheels up. Of note is Airtran B717's where seats are really tight.

 

Although I avoid the really bad airlines (seat wise), when I have to fly the chiropracter's special, I tell the person behind why I will recline the seat and give them a chance to change or what have you. THis has never failed me.

 

I always fly the premium seats to avoid my knees becoming lumps.

[ducklite]

Great thread

 

I'm retired and had 30 years of this when I flew coach.

 

Today I fly higher than coach on international flights to avoid this situation.

 

But alas, for my domestic business flights for my post retirement job, I fly in coach.

 

As a result of over a million miles of real flight miles, I have a bad back. On some airlines, I have to recline. My back aches from the point I sit in the seat to wheels up. Of note is Airtran B717's where seats are really tight.

 

Although I avoid the really bad airlines (seat wise), when I have to fly the chiropracter's special, I tell the person behind why I will recline the seat and give them a chance to change or what have you. THis has never failed me.

 

I always fly the premium seats to avoid my knees becoming lumps.

 

 

If you fly that much you should have FF standing for regular FC upgrades.

[ducklite]

Being one who has not flown for more than 15 yrs., because of fear of flying and the discomfort discussed in this thread, I'd like to ask why one would not call an FA to "arbitrate" the matter. The FA is the only "person of authority" you can call on and it would seem to me that they would make a fair decision considering both passengers' rights?

 

We are flying to Alaska in less than a week & I'd really like to do the right thing and not get into an argument but dealing with certain types of people can be impossible and you need an "official" voice???:confused:

 

There's nothing to arbitrate. If your seat reclines, you ahve the right to recline it without the person behind you interfering.

[Jade13]

I wasn't touching his legs (he was probably 5'8 250lbs) he just thought he "owned" that space. I finally turned around and asked if he was having a seizure and if he needed the FA's assistance. The banging stopped immediately.

 

too funny.

[DanJ]

I've seen FA's tell people they couldn't do that several times.

 

Book an aisle seat so you can take that extra room. Or fly in first or business class. Frankly I'm not sure why you insisted the guy in front of you switch his seat when it was YOU that had the problem. It seems that you switching seats with your son would have been the more reasonable option.

 

 

I was in the aisle seat, and I didn't insist the guy move. He moved on his own.

[Jade13]

There's nothing to arbitrate. If your seat reclines, you ahve the right to recline it without the person behind you interfering.

 

But you can't if a big/tall guy is behind you. On our flight I mentioned earlier, he was over 6 feet and knees right into the seat.

[Rickey 88]

Being one who has not flown for more than 15 yrs., because of fear of flying and the discomfort discussed in this thread, I'd like to ask why one would not call an FA to "arbitrate" the matter. The FA is the only "person of authority" you can call on and it would seem to me that they would make a fair decision considering both passengers' rights?

 

We are flying to Alaska in less than a week & I'd really like to do the right thing and not get into an argument but dealing with certain types of people can be impossible and you need an "official" voice???:confused:

 

Aren't you getting worked up over something that may never be a problem?

 

You are presuming from the outset that there's going to be difficulty with reclining seat backs. It may never come to happen, but should the seat in front of you cause you to be uncomfortable, simply ask the person there if they could raise a bit and give you room.

 

If they refuse, then, but only then, should you call on your "Official Voice". The flight attendant may be able to help, but under no circumstances should you ask for intervention from the pilot! He's busy!!!!!

[PennyAgain]

There's nothing to arbitrate. If your seat reclines, you ahve the right to recline it without the person behind you interfering.

 

The person in front of me on the flight from South Africa aparently did not speak English and could not (or did not) respond to questions from one of the FA's.

 

Just because you feel that you have the right to something, does not mean it works in the real world. Most especially with overseas airlines.

[ducklite]

But you can't if a big/tall guy is behind you. On our flight I mentioned earlier, he was over 6 feet and knees right into the seat.

 

That's his problem. My husband is also over 6' and has no problems as long as he sits upright instead of slouching in his seat. And he books an aisle or exit row seat to give himeself the extra legroom.

 

Frankly this is a very, very touchy topic with me. I fly a lot for business (about every other week) and way too many men think they have the God given right to take part of my seat (including holding their paper into my space or even taking over the entire armrest in a F/C seat), expect me to keep my seat upright because they want the space, spread their legs into my space, the list goes on. Frankly if they want or need more space, they should buy two seats. I paid for my seat and expect to use the space in it. When they start to buy my plane tickets, I'll start to share the space alloted to me. Until then, not my problem.

 

If it's a 5:10 am flight (which is the outbound flight I'm usually on) I'm putting my seat back to get a couple more hours of sleep. End of story.

[ducklite]

The person in front of me on the flight from South Africa aparently did not speak English and could not (or did not) respond to questions from one of the FA's.

 

Just because you feel that you have the right to something, does not mean it works in the real world. Most especially with overseas airlines.

 

They aren't too hard to slam backwards, and if someone behind me decides to be a jerk about it, it will be when they've got their meal on their tray. I really do try to be polite about it, but I have zero tolerance for people who try to take advantage or are just unreasonable or jerks--like the "seizure dude" I mentioned earlier.

 

By the way, most South Africans speak English, even if it's as a second language.

[Gonzo70]

They aren't too hard to slam backwards, and if someone behind me decides to be a jerk about it, it will be when they've got their meal on their tray.

 

Were you that person I heard about on the news a couple of weeks ago that caused a flight to have to make an emergency landing because some passengers got into a brawl during the flight? :D

[ducklite]

Were you that person I heard about on the news a couple of weeks ago that caused a flight to have to make an emergency landing because some passengers got into a brawl during the flight? :D

 

Maybe... :D

[Keith1010]

Maybe you can get the Texas Governor to go after this issue as well.

[theduffys]

But they can book aisle/bulkhead/exit to gain more space. Even on the carriers that charge extra for one of those seats, it's never more than $20 or so. I paid a total of $50 r/t on Jet Blue for one of their expanded legroom seats to PR a couple years ago. It was worth every dime.

 

Wow, I wish ($20)! DH is 6'1 with long legs. He NEVER reclines his seat (even a little) without first asking the person behind if they mind. However, since no one has ever asked him, he has spent many a long haul with pain in his knees and stuggleing to get out into the aisle. Now we always purchase the bulkhead or exit row seats as soon as soon as we book the flight. Last summer it was $75 p/p each way on Virgin Australia. This summer it is $139 p/p each way on Continental to Munich. Since we simply cannot afford to upgrade, this is our next best option.

[PennyAgain]

Maybe you can get the Texas Governor to go after this issue as well.

 

Keith, the non-governmental solution would be if the airline seats were adjusted to recline only far enough for comfort without squashing the person in the seat behind. Or when purchasing new seats, order them to that specification.

 

As the situation is now it is survival of the fittest and those with the most nerve.

 

I had a situation where the guy behind me put one of the Knee Defenders on the back of my seat so that I could not recline at all. As I didn't know there was such a thing I assumed my seat was broken and reported it as such. The guy had a fit when ordered to remove his gizmo by the FA. An absolute fit.

 

It was ugly.

[Keith1010]

Penny, that is a unbelievable what that guy did.

 

I do wish the seats were set up not to go back so far. Maybe they were designed with the thought that there would be greater spacing between the seats but they just are not practical in today's seating configurations.

 

Keith

[ducklite]

Keith, the non-governmental solution would be if the airline seats were adjusted to recline only far enough for comfort without squashing the person in the seat behind. Or when purchasing new seats, order them to that specification.

 

As the situation is now it is survival of the fittest and those with the most nerve.

 

I had a situation where the guy behind me put one of the Knee Defenders on the back of my seat so that I could not recline at all. As I didn't know there was such a thing I assumed my seat was broken and reported it as such. The guy had a fit when ordered to remove his gizmo by the FA. An absolute fit.

 

It was ugly.

 

No, HE was ugly. You did the right thing.

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

The following two pictures illustrate the problem.

Some people regard the recline button as part of the equipment of the aircraft which they have the use of and so to get the full value of their ticket, then they will make maximum use of it whether they need to or not.

They do so with no consideration for the amenity of their neighbours.

It's not a good or bad thing on their part. They simply don't think about it. :o

 

The person in front of me found the recline button, used it and left it that way until told to raise the seat for landing, even though they were leaning forward for a lot of the time. :eek: I have even had toddlers sitting up in reclined seats in front of me and their parents took no notice of the effect on the people behind. BTW both of these experiences were on Transatlantic flights.

Reclining the seat restricts access getting in and out of the seat for all the people in that row, limits tray space, even knocking drinks and meals off the tray and even makes it difficult to read if you suffer from less than 20/20 vision.

 

I have no problem with people reclining seats in a reasonable manner to varying degrees and at appropriate times but it really can mar the experience of those around you, so consideration should be shown to fellow passengers.

Maybe the pilot should control the seat angle of every seat from the cockpit so we all share the same experience.:D

 

[Calgary North]

Interesting topic and an issue I deal with each time I fly.

 

I am over 6' with long legs and don't appreciate a passenger in front of me encroaching on my space. As I have a long torso to accompany my long legs, a fully reclined seat in front of me places a head full (or not) of hair uncomfortably close to my face.

 

One may think they have a "right" to recline their seat. They have a right to try. That right will end where my knees begin.

[Loreto]

My DH is a big guy. I am eligible to book the exit row on Delta..which I always do when I fly solo...but a passenger who requires a seat belt extender cannot sit in the exit row. In bulkhead seats the width of the seat is reduced due to the tray table in the seat arm, so we cannot put the middle armrest down to share space. A few times we have been upgraded to first due to my Medallion status.

 

Lately we have been booking first class, spending our children's inheritance!:D

 

Karen

[ducklite]

Interesting topic and an issue I deal with each time I fly.

 

I am over 6' with long legs and don't appreciate a passenger in front of me encroaching on my space. As I have a long torso to accompany my long legs, a fully reclined seat in front of me places a head full (or not) of hair uncomfortably close to my face.

 

One may think they have a "right" to recline their seat. They have a right to try. That right will end where my knees begin.

 

And what do you plan on doing to stop them? If you fly regularly, you should have enough status with your carrier of choice to be able to book the seats that will give you more leg room at no additional charge. If you don't fly that often, then being inconvenienced now and then shouldn't be a big deal.

[Deckhandoug]

If you weren't supposed to recline them each seat wouldn't have a button to do so.

 

Recline away, it's YOUR seat and option!

[Calgary North]

And what do you plan on doing to stop them? If you fly regularly, you should have enough status with your carrier of choice to be able to book the seats that will give you more leg room at no additional charge. If you don't fly that often, then being inconvenienced now and then shouldn't be a big deal.

 

My knees do an admirable job in restricting the recline of the seat in front of me.

 

I agree, however, that it should be no big deal if a passenger in front of me is inconvenienced once in awhile. They can always use their FF miles to upgrade their seat.

[ducklite]

My knees do an admirable job in restricting the recline of the seat in front of me.

 

I agree, however, that it should be no big deal if a passenger in front of me is inconvenienced once in awhile. They can always use their FF miles to upgrade their seat.

 

However that passenger can also slam their seat back into your knees--repeatedly. Then what will you do? Frankly if airlines didn't want seats to recline they would make them so they wouldn't. If you have a problem with that, perhaps you should chose a no-frills line that has non recline-able seats. Or chose the exit row seats--the seats in front of those don't recline.

 

You are the one with the issue, so you should be the one to spend the money or miles to upgrade.

 

As I said, I try to be polite within reason, and someone who is being an ass about it is going to get his kneecaps bruised or broken.

 

PS--I don't need to use FF miles to upgrade, my status is such that they take care of it for me--for free.